Death Perception
by Oiche
Summary: Sometimes we might need to look at death in a different way...
1. Chapter 1

Henry Fitzroy felt the jerk of consciousness as his vampiric sleep ended for the day. His eyes opened and sought the clock by his bedside in confusion; it felt far too early still. Sure enough, the clock read 2 o'clock in the afternoon. With a frown and a shrug he sprang lithely from his bed, landing gracefully as ever on the balls of his feet.

His head snapped to the side and he sniffed the air. With a deepened frown he made his way into the living room. An instantaneous scan of the room drew his eyes to its centre. A slight form was huddled in a pool of synthetic light falling from a lamp. The body belonged to a slender and petite and very naked woman whose back was to him. She rested hunched on her knees with her back arched sharply, her head touched against the ground in front of her and her palms were splayed either side of her head to steady her. Her black hair spanned in long ebony waves down her back and all around her face. Her ivory skin glowed smooth and perfect under the light.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my home?" Henry demanded, hoping to dear God that this wasn't another dream and that she wasn't another Incan Sorcerer.

The girl's head flipped up and she glanced over her shoulder, with the hair moved aside he could now clearly see the elegant curve of her neck. His eyes lingered there for a millisecond before moving upwards to her face. Her eyes were widening dramatically, "Turn around! You can't look at me, sir!"

Henry turned his back to her with a smirk, he remembered the face he'd had a glance of and digested it now from memory. It was a childish and angelic one, plump lips and wide blue-grey eyes, straight little nose. She was the type of classic beauty that would always be worshipped, always be yearned for, and always be pined after.

The smirk slipped from his face in surprise when he felt an arm snake around his chest as he was pulled flush against the girl's body. He could feel the softness of her breasts and the warmth of her skin, as well as smell her sweetness but these intoxicating sensations were overridden by the feeling of the blade of his own sword, digging ever so slightly into the skin of his neck. "What do you want with me vampire? Where have you taken me?" hissed the voice, which had sounded so melodic and soft moments before, right against his ear.

"Nothing! I want and have done nothing! You are the one intruding in my home!" Henry retorted incredulously as he tried to struggle from her grasp but she could not be budged. Her strength shocked him and he smelled her once again. "A slayer!" he spat, his vampiric visage coming to the fore.

"That's right, bloodsucker, and…" she trailed off in confusion and her grip slackened imperceptibly, but enough that Henry managed to shrug her off. The motion propelled her to the floor and the sword was knocked from her hands.

Henry was upon her in a second and pinned her body to the ground with his own, he gripped both her wrists in one hand and held them above her head. She thrashed about instinctively at the binds his body formed. His other hand reached to her stomach, where he pushed her torso tight against the ground so that she could not move about.

She looked up at him in desperation and he couldn't help but grin with satisfaction, the tables were well and truly turned. "Your aura is not evil, I feel it now, you do not want to harm me," she said with an assured voice that was completely at odds with her worried eyes.

"You're right; I don't want to hurt you. So, can we talk rationally now?" Henry asked.

"Yes," she acquiesced with a sheepish nod.

Henry released her and stood up; he offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.

"Thank you," she said with all the dignity she could muster in her state of undress.

Henry could not help but lavish her body with his eyes, her hair hung down obscuring the view of her breasts but her flat stomach and long, willowy limbs were still visible. He could hear the blood course to her face and looked up to see the embarrassment staining her cheeks.

"First, I should perhaps get some clothes for you…" Henry murmured distractedly. The girl visibly relaxed with relief.

"Yes, please, that would be wonderful."

Henry motioned for her to follow him and walked ahead to his bedroom. He rifled through his closet and pulled out a dressing gown, when he turned he saw that she was still standing in the doorway of the room. "You can come in" he told her.

Her expression changed from cautious to appalled, "I couldn't possibly enter a gentleman's bedroom!"

Henry looked at her and a few things began to click into place, the moral code she seemed to hold, her speech, the stance she held herself in (not just that of a warrior but of a lady also). Her breeding all screamed old English nobility of years long passed.

"What year is it?" he asked, approaching her.

"1883."

****

Who is this mysterious girl? How did she get there? Who knows? Read on to find out and pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease review!


	2. Chapter 2

Henry took a step back in surprise, time-travel, that was…unexpected, to say the least. Sure, he was a vampire but why did his life have to be so damn complicated?

"1883?" he repeated softly.

"Yes."

Henry moved forwards and motioned with a nod of his head for her to step forwards. The girl moved and pulled her hair over her shoulder, with her back to Henry held her arms out on both sides of her. He stepped closer, drawing the silk over her arms and across her body, then he reached around her and tied the ties into a knot at her front. His head rested just above the crook of her neck and her shoulder and he inhaled the delicious scent of her skin casually. The slayer tensed and he moved away from her cautiously.

"I apologise," Henry said. She turned and nodded graciously.

"You must think me terribly rude," she said as she extended a hand to him "I am Broderique St. James. Though most informally I am called Brody, and I guess the strangeness of our meeting should be called such."

"Henry Fitzroy," he returned very simply with his charming smile and a light brushing of his lips across her knuckles. "I think it may be time to figure out how you found yourself to be here."

"Yes, of course," Brody agreed with a sweet smile.

"First of all, I must tell you that it is not 1883." Henry watched her eyes widen once more, "It is 2007."

Henry saw her body slacken and fall faint; he guessed that such news was enough to make even a slayer faint. He caught her before her body fell to the ground and cradled her it carefully in his arms. He looked down at her now peaceful face and turned back towards his bedroom, for the moment, they both could rest.

Lee approached Henry's home; he had been coming here ever since he had met the vampire. He felt understood and accepted here; he did not have to hide anything about himself. Slipping the key that Henry had given him into the lock he entered the shuttered apartment. Sunset was moments away and he and Henry were going to a gallery opening tonight. He walked towards the bedroom keen to get going and distract himself from the misery of his own life. He seemed to ignore his life more than he lived it.

As he walked into the room he noticed something quite unexpected. Henry did not lie alone in his bed this evening nor look as dead as he normally did in his sleep. He seemed more peaceful in his vampiric slumber and was spooned against the back of a breathtaking young woman. Even ignoring his vampirism, Henry looked too old for her, she appeared to be around seventeen and Henry looked to be in his mid-twenties. Despite that, they made an absolutely striking couple both with ivory skin and ebony locks of wavy hair. Her lips looked as the very substance Henry lived on and her features were smooth and flawless. Flawless; that's what they both were.

As Lee turned to leave the room, afraid of intruding, the shutters began to roll back up and Henry's body stiffened. He awoke with a shudder and a gasp which disrupted the woman he held so that she, too, awoke.

"Lee?" Henry said in an uncharacteristically sleepy way.

The woman's eyes flickered open and initially she snuggled her body back against Henry then she seemed to become aware and rolled from his arms into a defensive stance on the floor. She seemed to recognise Henry and relaxed minutely but remained staring warily at Lee. "Henry, who is this?"

"Don't worry Brody, he's a friend." Henry replied as he stood and took one of her hands.

Brody's eyes darted downwards to his bare chest then away again as her face blushed furiously. "I'll leave you to get dressed," she mumbled quickly and almost ran from the room.

Her quick perusal of his body had left lust in Henry's eyes as he watched her frantic exit. Lee watched the interaction between the pair with confusion so thick that Henry could taste it.

"She's not a bed partner if that's what you were thinking, Lee."

"Well that explains the bashfulness and here I was about to say she looked embarrassed to see you half naked." Lee remarked with a laugh.

"It's a case I'm afraid." Henry said with a sigh as he wiped a hand across his face, wearily.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, Lee. She is a Victorian Vampire Slayer who turned up in my apartment and does not know how she got here."

"That's a new one." Lee stated in quiet surprise.

"Yes, it is," was all Henry said as he walked to his closet and pulled out a clean shirt.

He and Lee walked back into the living area as Henry buttoned up his black shirt. Brody was looking out the wide windows a hand steadying her against the frame.

"So much has changed…" she murmured.

"Sure has," Lee said from behind her.

She whirled around and faced him, "Yes, you know something of it?"

"Well I've been reincarnated for hundreds of years, so I have a fair idea."

"And Henry, for how long have you watched the world move on?" she asked, looking at Henry now.

"450 years."

She had a distant look on her face as she seemed to digest it all. "I thought my day-to-day life was strange…"

Her head jerked up and her eyes became clearer "I died."

"What?" Henry asked and walked to her.

"I died" she said again.

"What are you talking about?" Henry inquired, cupping her chin in his hand and tilting her head towards him.

"Before I woke up here, I had just been run through with a broadsword, I died…And I woke up here."


	3. Chapter 3

"Weeird…" Lee said and let out a low whistle as he shook his head.

"Helpful" Henry admonished with a sharp look at the younger man.

Lee raised his hands in surrender and wandered away, over to the living room area. Henry turned back to his charge. "You died before you woke up here?"

Brody's wide eyes found his, uncertainty flooded their stormy depths. "Yes? I think so, but it all feels so hazy, like a dream. I do not know what is real and what is not anymore."

"I know how you feel," Henry muttered to himself and they both stared down at the bustling lights and colour if the city that lay stretched out before them.


End file.
